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Det Supt Shaun Edwards, from the West Midlands Counter Terrorism Unit, said: "We found part-made devices in Lapshyn's room plus chemicals and bomb-making equipment, so it is clear he planned to place further devices with the intention of killing or maiming innocent members of the public.

"All three of the devices he detonated were powerful but his final attack in Tipton was the first to feature shrapnel and nails.

"He placed this near the mosque's car park with the intention of hitting worshippers as they arrived for prayers.

"Thankfully, the service had been put back an hour so the mosque was largely deserted when the bomb went off."

Mr Saleem's daughter Shazia Khan: "Our father was a lovely, kind man"

Mr Edwards said that during interviews Lapshyn had been keen to take credit for the attacks, although at the Old Bailey he denied endangering life in the Walsall blast. That charge is to lie on file.

Within days of the first bomb exploding in Walsall on 21 June, officers had a clear picture of what the 25-year-old looked liked after analysing footage from hundreds of CCTV cameras in the area.

West Midlands Police said the problem was finding Lapshyn as he was a "loner".

"It was local neighbourhood officers in Small Heath, asking 'do you know this man?', that got him," Mr Edwards said.

"They noticed he appeared to be wearing work clothes, and started asking the businesses - one of which was Delcam."

One of Lapshyn's tutor in the Ukraine, Viktor Laskin, said he was in "the same state of shock" he had experienced when the 25-year-old was first arrested.

Mr Laskin said: "We never did believe and don't believe now that he could have done this on his own and consciously.

"During the years of his studies, he never expressed any anti-nationalist sentiment, and so his statement that he wanted to increase racism, or whatever it is he said, came as a big surprise for us."